‘Childbirth in the UK: A guide for refugees’  is a film aimed specifically at pregnant AS&R women to help them navigate the issues they might face throughout their pregnancy and birth, created by the Yorkshire and Humberside Maternity Stream. Translations in community languages

Maternity Care

Mother’s tongue app – An English language app to help support Mums-to-be in communicating with their midwives.

The Asylum Process

A video specifically aimed at women asylum seekers with useful information to know before the initial asylum interview – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGuZg0NiedE

Rights and Benefits

See the ‘Rights and Benefits’ section on this page

There is information and further resources about the asylum process on our Information for Sanctuary Seekers page.

You can find information about access to healthcare, including the latest on the NHS Charging Regulations on the Health Stream website.

Maternity Action provides free telephone advice to help women get the maternity care they need and on charging (0808 800 0041, Thurs. only 10am-12noon) & email advice at: [email protected]

Maternity Action information on residence rules and entitlement to NHS maternity care (2021)

Maternity Action information on NHS charges for Ukrainian women (2022)

For Asylum Seekers

Refugee Council resource on Asylum Support: policy and practice in relation to pregnant women and new mothers (2021)

Government pages on asylum support, including information about extra weekly payments for pregnant women and families with small children and maternity grants. 

Maternity Action info sheets on financial support and housing for asylum seekers

What does it mean to have no recourse to public funds? – Information sheet

Maternity payments for parents seeking asylum – Refugee Council info sheet (2013)

For the latest information on asylum support for pregnant women and families with children, please visit the UKBA ‘Asylum support’ page

Fact sheet from ASAP (Asylum Support Appeals Project) on section 4 support for pregnant women who are refused asylum seekers

Information on travel costs for women in labour

Resources from the Equality and Human Rights Commission on ‘Helping people seeking asylum access health care’ including a video and practical guide

For Refugees

Maternity Action info sheets on maternity rights and benefits for refugees

Government pages on the Sure Start Maternity Grant

Please see the Resources section on the Health Stream site for resources around health in general – including on healthcare charging and entitlements, the Immigration Act, resources on different topics relating to health (eg. FGM), links to organisations and specialist services and resources for refugee health professionals. 

‘Working with people seeking asylum & refuge’ -a resource produced by Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust for their staff (2020)

‘Childbirth in the UK: stories from refugees’ is a powerful video created by the Yorkshire and Humberside Maternity Stream with women’s stories of childbirth (2015)

‘Birth with Sanctuary’ is a collection of videos created by the Yorkshire and Humberside Maternity Stream including women’s stories of birth, seeking sanctuary and working with sanctuary seekers (2018)

‘Striving for excellence in maternity care: The Maternity Stream of City of Sanctuary’ – An article about the need for a Maternity stream and the background behind it.

Other Resources

‘The pregnant woman within the global context’  – a model created by Dr Mel Haith-Cooper which considers the pregnant women in the centre of the model and factors in the environment (UK and home country) that can affect her needs whilst she is pregnant.

Royal College of Midwives pocket guide on Caring for Vulnerable Migrant Women

Statement from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists on Maternity Charging

‘Improving Care for Refugees and Asylum Seekers: The experience of midwives’ – a report from Maternity Action (2011)

‘Pregnant and seeking asylum; exploring experiences ‘from booking to baby’‘ – A study undertaken in West Yorkshire, aiming to explore the maternity care experiences of local pregnant asylum seeking women, to inform service development (2016)

Three articles around the care of pregnant asylum seeking women:

1. The first of three parts examining dominant discourses that influenced the perceptions of a group of midwifery students’ about pregnant asylum seeking women. NET article part 1
2. The second of three parts exploring midwifery students’ perceptions of how to approach the care of pregnant women seeking asylum. NET article part 2
3.  The final part of three describing the development of ‘The Pregnant Woman Within the Global Context’ model NET article part 3

Antenatal

Facilitating antenatal courses attended by asylum seekers and refugees: An NCT guide for midwives, health visitors and education and support practitioners

Befriending

‘Evaluating the impact of befriending for pregnant asylum seeking and refugee women’  – The early evaluation of a befriending project located in Northern England, targeting pregnant asylum-seeking and refugee women and helping to address difficulties that they may face (2013)

An evaluation of the cost effectiveness of the Leeds based Health Befriending Network, a 3 year project undertaken by the Refugee Council (2014)

FGM

Tackling FGM in the UK: identifying, recording, reporting

FGM: Mandatory reporting – resources from the Department of Health and Social Care

Other Resources

Evaluation of a family health programme which was established in an initial accommodation centre (IAC) in northern England, by trained volunteers who were refugees and therefore peers

A study aiming to identify difficulties midwives experience when communicating with non-English-speaking women and exploring the feasibility of using mobile devices with a translation app to communicate in clinical practice.

‘Childbirth in the UK: stories from refugees’ is a powerful video created by the Yorkshire and Humberside Maternity Stream with women’s stories of childbirth (2015)

‘Birth with Sanctuary’ is a collection of videos created by the Yorkshire and Humberside Maternity Stream including women’s stories of birth, seeking sanctuary and working with sanctuary seekers (2018)

Women’s stories – some stories collected by the Yorkshire and Humberside Maternity Stream from women seeking sanctuary

Charging for Healthcare

‘What Price Safe Motherhood? Charging for NHS Maternity Care in England and its Impact on Migrant Women’ – a report from Maternity Action (Sep 2018)

Dispersal

‘Dignity in Pregnancy’ campaign video from Refugee Council and Maternity Action

Guidance on dispersal of pregnant asylum seeking and refugee women

‘When Maternity Doesn’t Matter’ – A Refugee Council and Maternity Action report on dispersing pregnant women seeking asylum (2013)

A poster of the findings of the ‘When Maternity Doesn’t Matter’ report from Maternity Action

Destitution

‘A Healthy Start?: Experiences of pregnant refugee and asylum seeking women in Scotland’ – a report from the British Red Cross (2016)

Detention

Medical Justice campaign page on ending the detention of pregnant women

‘Expecting Change: the case for ending the detention of pregnant women’ – A Medical Justice report (2013)

Maternity Action – a national charity seeking to ending inequality and improving the health and well-being of pregnant women, partners and young children

The Maternity Action Migrant Women’s Advice Service is a particularly useful source of information and advice

Maternity Action provides free telephone advice to help women get the maternity care they need and on charging (0808 800 0041, Thurs. only 10am-12noon) & email advice at: [email protected]

ESOL Stepping Stones – English Language Teaching for non-English speaking mothers